Aegean Sea Part of the Mediterranean Sea that lies between Turkey and Greece.

Alps A mountain range stretching from the Mediterranean coast of France to Central Europe. The highest peak is Mont Blanc in France, which is 4810 metres (15,781 feet) high.

Apennines A mountain range stretching nearly 1400 kilometres (875 miles) down the centre of the Italian Peninsula.

Athens The capital of Greece. At the heart of the city is the flat-topped Acropolis, where the remains of several ancient temples stand.

Balaton, Lake The largest lake in Central Europe, also known as the Hungarian Sea.

Balkan Mountains A mountain range that stretches 550 kilometres (340 miles) across Bulgaria to the Black Sea. Its highest point is Botev Peak, which is 2376 metres (7795 feet) high.

Balkans A region of southeastern Europe. It is made up of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and European Turkey.

Baltic Sea Part of the Atlantic Ocean enclosed by the Scandinavian Peninsula and mainland Europe. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which border it, are known as the Baltic states.

Berlin The capital of Germany, in the east of the country. It was once divided into East and West by the Berlin Wall, which came down in 1989.

Black Sea A sea almost completely enclosed by Eastern Europe, Russia, Georgia and Turkey.

Bosporus A narrow channel of water that divides Europe and Asia in Turkey and connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

British Isles The group of islands off the northwestern coast of Europe. They include Great Britain, Ireland and other small island groups.

Brussels The capital of Belgium and the European Union.

Bucharest The capital of Romania. Once known as the “Paris of the East” because of its French-style architecture, today it is a major centre of industry.

Budapest The capital of Hungary, situated on the banks of the River Danube. It is Europe’s largest spa town, with more than 100 natural hot springs.

Carpathian Mountains The second longest mountain range in Europe, stretching over 1500 kilometres (930 miles) from Czechia to the Iron Gate. Its highest point is Gerlach Peak in Slovenia, which is 2655 metres (8709 feet) high.

Caucasus Mountains A mountain range stretching 1100 kilometres (680 miles) from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The highest point in the Caucasus is Europe’s highest mountain, Mount Elbrus, which is 5664 metres (18,582 feet) high. The Caucasus region is made up of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and parts of southern Russia.

Danube The second longest river in Europe, flowing 2860 kilometres (1777 miles) from the Black Forest in western Germany to the Black Sea in Ukraine.

Dardanelles A narrow body of water in northwest Turkey linking the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara.

Dinarides A mountain range spanning 645 kilometres (400 miles) from Croatia to Montenegro. Its highest point is Maja Jezercë in Albania, which is 2694 metres (8839 feet) high.

Dnieper (Dnipro) A river that flows 2145 kilometres (1333 miles) from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.

English Channel Part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Great Britain from mainland Europe. At its narrowest point, it is only 34 kilometres (21 miles) wide.

Gibraltar, Strait of A narrow strait, measuring just 14.3 kilometres (8.8 miles) at its narrowest point, that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, separating Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. It is named after the Rock of Gibraltar, which comes from the Arabic, Jebel Tariq ("Tariq's Mountain").

Iberian Peninsula Part of southwestern Europe that separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Mediterranean. It is shared by Spain and Portugal.

Iron Gate A deep gorge through which the River Danube flows. It forms part of the Romanian–Serbian border.

Isthmus of Corinth A strip of land joining the Peloponnese Peninsula to mainland Greece. It is cut across by the Corinth Canal.

Italian Peninsula A boot-shaped area of land bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on three sides.

Kyiv The capital of Ukraine and one of the largest cities in Eastern Europe, with a population of 2.9 million.

Lapland A region stretching across Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. It is home to the Sami people, once known as Lapps or Laplanders. Most Sami live in towns and cities today, but a substantial number still carry on a traditional way of life, including fishing, fur trapping and especially reindeer herding.

Loire The longest river in France, flowing 1012 kilometres (629 miles) from the Cévennes Mountains in the south to the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire Valley is dotted with vineyards, orchards and chateaux (castles).

London The capital of the United Kingdom, built on the River Thames in southeast England. It is home to many historic buildings, such as the Tower of London and Houses of Parliament. Its population is 9.8 million.

Madrid The capital of Spain, built on a high plateau in the centre of Spain.

Massif Central A range of mountains and high plateaus in central France, including around 450 extinct volcanoes.

Mediterranean Sea The sea that lies between Africa, Europe and Asia. It is linked to the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar.

Moscow Russia’s capital, the largest city in Europe, with a population of 10.4 million. At its heart is the Kremlin, a medieval fortress, now home to Russia’s president.

Odesa A major industrial port on the south coast of Ukraine.

Pannonian Plain A lowland area in Central Europe, bordered by the Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides.

Paris The capital of France, on the banks of the River Seine. It is home to many famous monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower. The city of Paris has a population of 2.2 million, but its entire metropolitan area has a population of over 12.1 million.

Prague The capital of Czechia, on the banks of the River Vltava. The city is overlooked by Prague Castle.

Pripet Marshes A vast region of low-lying marshes in southern Belarus and northern Ukraine, surrounding the River Pripet.

Pyrenees A mountain range that stretches 430 kilometres (260 miles) from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea. The highest peak is Aneto, in Spain, which is 3404 metres (11,168 feet) high.

Rhine A river flowing 1233 kilometres (766 miles) from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea. It is one of Europe’s most important waterways.

Rhône A river flowing 813 kilometres (505 miles) from Switzerland through France to the Mediterranean Sea.

Rome The capital of Italy, built on the River Tiber. It was once the capital of the Roman Empire, and many ancient buildings still stand in the city.

St Petersburg A city in northwestern Russia. Once Russia’s capital, it is still its second largest city, with a population of 5 million. It was founded in 1703 and many of its squares and palaces were built in the Neoclassical style.

Scandinavia The countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Together with Finland, Greenland and Iceland, they form the Nordic countries.

Seine The second longest river in France, flowing 776 kilometres (482 miles) through France, passing through Paris and emptying into the English Channel.

Sudetes A mountain range stretching from eastern Germany to Czechia. The highest peak, Snezka, is 1602 metres (5260 feet).

Ural Mountains A mountain range running 2500 kilometres (1560 miles) through Russia. It marks the boundary between Europe and Asia. The highest peak, Mount Narodnaya, is 1895 metres (6217 feet) high.

Vatican City The smallest independent state in the world, with a population of around 839. Lying within the city of Rome, Vatican City is home to the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church.

Venice An Italian city built on islands in a shallow bay. Instead of streets it has canals, and instead of cars, water buses and gondolas ferry people from place to place.

Volga The longest river in Europe. It flows 3668 kilometres (2780 miles) through western Russia to the Caspian Sea.

Warsaw The capital of Poland and its cultural and educational centre, with many universities, libraries and museums.

White Sea Part of the Arctic Ocean, almost entirely enclosed by northwest Russia.

Consultant: Lloyd Jenkins